Letter of Fr. Ron to the Eudist Family on the Aftermath of Typhoon "Yolanda"

Dear Eudist Brothers and Sisters,I am sure that you have heard about the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines the other day. "The strongest typhoon in history,"some are saying.

First, I want to assure you that everyone in our Eudist community is safe. Our two houses are on the northern island of Luzon, which did not receive too much effect of the storm. The hard-hit area was the central region called the Visayas (a collection of many smaller islands).We received no damage of any kind. In fact, we had only light wind and brief light rain showers. It seems that our Good Shepherd Sisters and Little Sisters of the Poor were also unharmed.

The typhoon was extremely strong but also quite concentrated. In the areas affected, its impact was devastating. Thousands of people are dead and many more not accounted for. Big buildings, including churches and a cathedral suffered heavy damage. Whole villages were destroyed.

One of the big problems is that communication and transportation have been cut off. Many people here have not been able to contact their family and friends in the affected area.

Please continue to pray for the people of the Philippines, especially the Visayas. As always, they are resilient and will rebuild, but the losses are very heavy this time. But their faith is also strong and they readily turn to God at this time of crisis. Let us support them with our prayers and even financial contributions.May God bless the Philippines. Ron Bagley, CJMFor those in the US or Canada, if you would like to donate money to aid the relief of the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines, you can give through Catholic Relief Services. Click here to help...